The present invention concerns a fastening element for conveyor belts and the like, and in particular, to a fastener with a body element, U-shaped in cross section, containing at least one generally semicircular coupling eyelet and fastening legs with an entry opening for at least one fastening pin.
U-shaped belt fasteners are generally well known in the art. They are connected to each other with a coupling bar that reaches across the comb-like coupling eyelets. Such fasteners encompass each end of the conveyor belt with their U-shaped body element, and in this position are fastened to the conveyor belt ends with staples or rivets. Staples typically extend relatively far beyond the main body of the fastener after they are attached, and the same is also true for rivet heads when using rivets.
Furthermore, when rivets are used for fastening the connecting elements at the ends of conveyor belts, it is common practice to use relatively long pointed rivets, which are shortened to the required length after passing through the belt end and the associated fastening legs. Consequently, all rivets have to be cut off by hand after installation. This is both labor intensive and time consuming, and therefore expensive.